# Why are so many natural formations called "Devil's \*\*\*\*\*" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 25, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261 "2008-08-25T23:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261/21 "2008-08-26T18:27:38Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] I don’t know what that means, since I don’t live in Moab. But just because one might choose to have a funny mascot that’s a “Red Devil” in tights and horns, doesn’t mean one actually believes in the reality of the costume. Christians, Mormons included, don’t believe that angels have wings either–it’s called symbolic imagery, and isn’t meant to be taken literally by anyone over the age of 5. [/QUOTE] I agree, I was referring to something more akin to Dr. Drake’s comment above. There are also rockart ‘Angels’ out here and the canyon’s that contain them are named accordingly. I’m merely pointing out that our less educated pioneers must have gotten a bit of a start when they first came upon them. In the same way that a bit of rock art in the shape of Christ on the Cross would have caused a larger reaction than say, one depicting a sheep. I doubt very much as well that any of the early settlers actually thought that ‘Dust Devils’ were actually sent from the abode of the damned. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261/22 "2008-08-26T18:49:31Z")
[Devil’s Golf Course](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Death_Valley_Devil%27s_Golf_Course.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261/23 "2008-08-26T20:22:32Z")
**The Devil’s Dyke** _A ravine in the South Downs, Brighton. The legend is, that St. Cuthman, walking on the downs, prided himself on having Christianised the surrounding country, and having built a nunnery where the dyke-house now stands. Presently the Devil appeared and told him all his labour was in vain, for he would swamp the whole country before morning. St. Cuthman went to the nunnery and told the abbess to keep the sisters in prayer till after midnight, and then illuminate the windows. The Devil came at sunset with mattock and spade, and began cutting a dyke into the sea, but was seized with rheumatic pains all over his body. He flung down his mattock and spade, and the cocks, mistaking the illuminated windows for sunrise, began to crow; whereupon the Devil fled in alarm, leaving his work not half done._ Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261/24 "2008-08-26T20:52:00Z")
Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey is named from an apparent mixture of Christian and Norse mythology. Local legend has it that The Devil and Thor both lived nearby - the Devil in a place called Devil’s Jumps (where there are three small hills) and Thor in a place now named Thursley (‘Thor’s lie’ = Thor’s resting place). The Devil jumped from hill to hill, tormenting Thor, who retaliated with lightning, but eventually scooped up a handful of earth and hurled it at the Devil, leaving the depression that remains today. I think this typifies the kind of legend behind such names - so to answer the OP, the Devil was prominent in mythology current to the naming of many places, and remarkable landscape features prompted the weaving of folk tales to explain their existence. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261/25 "2008-08-26T21:07:43Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] One of the things I recall from Utah is **Devil’s Slide** : > **[Devil's Slide (Utah)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Slide_(Utah))** > > .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}41°03′49″N 111°32′53″W / 41.06361°N 111.54806°W / 41.06361; -111.54806 > Devil's Slide is a geological formation located in northern Utah's Weber Canyon, approximately 26 miles west of the Wyoming border,... > **[GeoSights: Devils Slide, Morgan County, Utah - Utah Geological Survey](https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/geosights/devils-slide/)** > > Why take your kids to an ordinary playground slide at the park, when you can go to the slide named after the Devil himself? Unfortunately for sliders, Devils Slide is not a real slide, but an unusual geologic feature found in northern Utah. This is one of those cases where you can see why they ascribe owndership to the Devil – who else would want to slide on it? It’s asl serrated edges and rough rock. [/QUOTE] CA has one, too, a name used both for the geographic feature and the related section of Highway 1 infamously subject to landslides and closures: > **[Devil's Slide](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Slide)** > > Devil's Slide is the name of several geological formations. It may refer to: A decades long argument about how to bypass the area has finally been settled by a decision to build a tunnel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-natural-formations-called-devils/461261.md?page=1)